My promise to him

Chapter 9

Emma's P.O.V – 2 days later

The next 2 days goes quite slowly, I'm constantly aware of Frank monitoring my every move, worried about being left alone with him. At least at home, I could go out or go to school and I wouldn't have this constant weight on my shoulders that someone might notice. 

I keep noticing Louie watching me as he grows increasingly suspicious and keeps asking me if I'm alright, not to mention Zack constantly nagging me to tell someone about Frank and even giving me a deadline yesterday that if I don't by the end of the week he will. As much as I don't want to, and it terrifies the hell out of me, I know he's doing it for me and I can't blame him, but it fills me constantly with this panicky feeling that if I do expose Frank everything's going to change, and I'm petrified of what he will do to me. 

It's not until the day before we leave, I'm caught alone with Frank again.

Mum and the other adults left to go on a walk half an hour ago, I decided to stay back to get some more alone time with Zack, we still don't know what's going to happen when we leave tomorrow and the thought of it makes my heart break, however many times he's ensured me it will be fine. Because it won't, he is the only thing good in my life right now and I have to leave him tomorrow after growing so close to him, to go back to an empty house with Frank and to school with Brandon who probably hates my guts right now. 

He kisses me one last time, after I tell him we both should probably start packing before walking upstairs. I can hear Louie on the phone to Maya, his girlfriend a couple of doors down, which makes me smile. Maya is so nice, and I can tell they really like each other.

I walk into the bathroom to wash my face before I attempt to start packing up the mounds of clothes now deserted in the corner of my room, into my suitcase. I look in the mirror at my reflection and shake my long, hair back out my face before turning the tap off and walking into the bedroom. 

The door left open brings me a sudden urge of panic, but I brush it off, it must have been from Zack when he came to check on me earlier. But as I go in, the door slams shut, and Frank appears behind me, blocking the door. 

Fear is the punch that jolts me back to reality, as Frank lurches forward grabbing a hold of both my wrists tightly, "I thought I warned you what would happen if you ever told anyone," he snarls, his face so close to mine, I can see the raging gleam in his eyes. My heart hammer hard in my throat.

Zack is downstairs which means he won't be able to hear me if I attempt to shout for help. My heart immediately starts to pound, and I stumble back against the wall. He snarls at me immediately pinning my wrist up and slamming me against the wall. 

Agony ripples in my head and I scream in pain just before he wraps his arms around my neck covering my mouth, so I can't breathe. "Awwww is your little boyfriend not here to save you?" he spits at me, smirking. He leans close to me whispering his words like venom into my ear, "you brought this on yourself." My vision starts to go black at the edges and I feel fainter and fainter until I can barely see the corners of the room. 

The lack of oxygen makes my lungs burn and my head go so light I start to feel numb. So, when I hear the voice at the door, I'm confused as whether I'm imagining it.

"Em? Are you ok?" it says, Louie! I use all my might to shove Frank's dirty hand from my mouth for a second, "Help," I manage to say as loud as I can which escapes as little but a whisper. I fly my arms around as he covers my mouth from speaking anymore and blocks me from gasping for breath. 

My eyes start to close as he pins my neck back further and further and launches his fist into my side as hard as he can. I can't even begin to describe the pure severity of pain that sparks up my body. 

I don't know whether I'm imagining things because I can suddenly hear thuds against the door getting louder and louder and the door suddenly breaks open and I see Louie in the door way. "Olly!" he yells as Frank punches me hard again in the side and then pulls back to slam me against the wall, but Louie gets there first tearing Frank away from me making him release me. 

As soon as Franks grip is released from my neck, any support keeping my body up is gone and I collapse to the floor just as Louie catches me, "Louie," I cry, bursting into tears whilst gasping for air and wrapping my arms around him as tightly as I can manage, feeling how strong and safe he is as he pulls me into his chest even tighter. 

He holds me up, "I've got you, I've got you," he says softly. I see Frank behind him and try to move to help him, but I feel totally limp and unable to move, my head feels lighter still, but my eye lids feel heavy now and I try to do everything I can to try and stay awake.

Frank stumbles back just in time as Olly and Zack appear in the doorway immediately running in. My head pounds hard as the tears fall down my face and Louie hold's me even tighter. "Are you okay?" he says pulling back to look at me but as soon as he moves I fall against him, weak and unable to keep myself up. 

I try to squeeze his arm in response. My head pounds harder now, loud and deafening and I struggle gasp for breath, "Louie, I-I c-can't," I struggle to say. He pulls be back into him, "I'm going to get you out of here okay?" he says softly wrapping his arms around my waist and lifting me up like I weigh nothing at all, my eyes close as I try to put all my effort into trying to breathe. 

A few moments later, I hear a thud and I look up to see Zack and Olly breathing heavily as they shut Frank inside the room locking the door. "Have you called the police?" I hear Olly say breathlessly. Louie shakes his head. "I'll go do it, my phones downstairs," Zack says, and I watch exhaustedly at the blurry outline of him, descends the staircase. 

My head feels light and my body feels weak from lack of oxygen, though I can't breathe to refill it and I can't make out any of the words that I hear Louie saying. Then I can't hear anymore, and my vision goes black.